Does it help to be a member of a soc professional society?

[zh_awk]

I'm thinking of ways to boost my CV before submitting materials for PhD applications this Fall, and I wasn't sure if being a member of soc-related societies or associations (like the ASA, Sociologists for Women in Society, etc) helps at all with showing dedication to the field and increases your likelihood of getting accepted? Is it worth joining any of them in particular, if so?

[lkaitlyn]

IMO it's worth joining ASA for the purpose of getting access to their resources, e.g. journals list, job postings, directory, listservs. Seeing the current jobs can help give you a sense of where the field is going, whether your target schools are hiring in a particular area of interest, and what schools are looking for in candidates (namely, what they look for in terms of commitments to diversity, etc.). You can echo these things in your SOP as long as it doesn't sound forced. I doubt joining affects admissions directly though.